Water-purifying apparatus.



M INVENTOIRl J. c. W. GRETH. WATER PURIFYING APPARATUS.

AHI@

100.090,04?. 4 :PATENTBD JUNE 9, 1908.

J. 0. W. GRBTH. y y WATER PURIPYINGAPPARATUS.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1907.

INVENTOR UNITED srArEs PArENr orrron.

W. GRETPI, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To WM. B. SoAIFEa SONS OOM- PANY, or 'P-I'rfrsnunof,v PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OP NEW JERSEY. u f

WATER-PURIFYING APPARATUS.;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .rune a, Iena.

.application filed January 11, 19.07.. Serial No. 351,865.

,vented certain new and useful lmprove ments in Water Purifying Apparatus, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates more particularly to the continuous systems of water purifying apparatus and to the tower ty e of such aparatus as illustrated in my '-Ormer patent 4o. 786,559 granted April L1, 1905.

VThe primary objectsof. the invention are to construct the system in a more compact form, and so arrange the various tanks as to operate the whole apparatus from the ground; to'provide an improved construction Ofthe various tanks and the mode of feeding them to provide an outlet from the system with an automatic sto valve and prevent the air locking of the -lters; to provide su erior means for operatin stirringdevices andp more accurate devices chemicals.

construction illustrated in preferred form in the' accompanying drawings forming partof this specification.

Figure 1 1s a vertical section through. the -several tanks and showing in side elevation an outline of the whole ap aratus and Fig. 1 a is-a detail. Fig. 2 isla pip an view of the ap- 1parts omitted. Figs. 3

paratus with some l y a plan and a side eletrates another form of valve, placed directly onthe outlet pipe;

ln purifying.plants`reolu`rringY a large volurne of water, vit will be vrecognized as very inconvenient to 'have the apparatus placed on top of the storage tanks as is customary, and it is also disadvantageous to have to elevate the water twice as is usually the case in downward-flow systems. Another' difficulty to 'be met incontinuous systems is that the Outlet ipes-from the settling tanks are often allowed to Jfill with air when the water level falls. too lowior when the apparatus ceases to flow, and when it starts operation again this air in the'outlet pipe enters the filters and locks them. l"My apparatus is designed in` part to meet these objections and 'also to avoid the inconvenience of having motors and pumps andstirring devices elevated or feeding thel re-actionv These objects and other advantages to hereinafter-appear l attain by` the position where they are difficult to reach by the attendant. l

ln the arrangement 4shown, Fig. 1 represents a tower much attenuated, and con-` sisting in the main Aof three divisions of r6 which the compartment 6 is ordinarily used, for lime treatment, the compartment `v7 for soda treatment, and the compartment 8 for storage and settling. on the ground l `provide a water motor .9.

which receives the main. supply of Water from the ipe 38 under head, and discharges At a convenient yplace v By-suitable gearing 16 driven from counter# shaft 12, special inclined 'form .of mechanical stirring devices 17 and. laare kept moving in the compartments 6 and 7 and give the water a rolling motion in addition torotation. in compartment 6 flows through an outlet 18 in the conical bottom of com artment 7 and by means of a pump 19 also riven from the countershaftv 12, a second chemical such asl soda solution is drawnfrom the mixing tank 20 anddischarged through a similar pipe 21'1 The water. after treatment to the lime which empties into the inlet 18 as shown in Fig. 1a sol as to miX with the water from compartment 6 just as it enters the re-action compartment 7 after being treated with lime.

From this compartment the water 1s raised through the perforated bottom 22 ofA the storage and settling compartment`8 and as it is needed it is drawn olf through a floating Outlet pipe 23 supported by float 24. By any convenient means, such as a vertical rod 25 whichwill engage with the float when it drops to a specified position and operates 1 a lever arm 26, a valve 27 in the outlet pipe is closed, so that the movable portion 23 of' the outlet pipe can never be exposed to the air and draw air therein.. By the cord 33 passing 'over the pulley 34 and connecting the pipe 23 with the arm 36 of valve 35 on the Vinlet pipe 38 leading to the motor 9, the iri.

ilowis stopped when the settling tank is full` f That is, the arm 36 is drawn down by the 3'0 filled with water.

the inflow. The outlet pipe 23 may be conveniently -led to the filters 24 whichare set upon the ground or at any convenient place.

In the chemical mixing tanks 14 and 20 are provided mechanical stirrers which by .suitable gearing 25 are also driven from the shaft 12 by the water motor 9.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I show a modified form of the outlet from the settling tank. The pipe 23 may be provided with any convenient.

series of branches such as 28 which are preferably well distributed throughout the area of the tank and are perforated underneath so as to take in the water near the surface. In order to revent these -pipes from beingi filled with alr when the system is stoppe or the water level falls, the top of the ipe 2 3 has abalanced disk valve 23n whic 1 .is closed b means of a float 29 when the water level fal s. Otherwise the same result may be attained as shown in Fig. 5, where the movable portion 30 of the outletpipe is arranged to surround a slotted stationary portion 31, so that by the movement of the part 25 30 which corresponds to the arm 23 shown in the to of Fig. 1, the slot or opening 32 may be cibsed when the float end of thepi e drops to a certain point thus preventing tiie entry of air and maintaining the outlet pipel This is` important, as it lprevents locking of the filters when the apparatus is started again, by carrying down a pipe full of air. .The conicalbottom 26 ofthe towermakes it convenient to draw off vthe sludge through pipe 27 to the sewer when desired. Suitable valves are shown in the drawings for manipulating the various connections and these will be understood without further explanation. 40 It will be seen that by this system .the water may be taken in lon the ground level and run the motor 9 as it passes to the purifying apparatus. The entire motion of -the water through the system is upward under pressure an this serves to better -mix the chemicals'with the water, as precipitates are well known to further aid in additional precipitation. The chemicals being'introduced under pressure at the exact point of inflow to each treatment-tank facilitates the action, while the currents are all in opposition to the tendencyof solid matter to collect at the bottom. The waterv being drawn off from near the surface of the settling compartment 8, avo1ds taking out any solid matter and by reason ofthe devices to close the outlet pipe when the inflow ceases Aat the bottom, I effectually prevent the carrying in of air to the draw-off pipe. Various other advan- '60 tages of the apparatus will readily occur to those familiar with the art.

It will be observed that in this system, not

.onl is the waterA treated 'with chemicals un er head andin an upward flow current 4 65 which thoroughly commingles them,-but the apparatus lias=tl1e additional advantage of treating the water to lime separately Aand completely before the soda treatment is commenoed.A This makes it easier for theoperator to test and determine .his lime treat- `ment by reason of -having only one chemical to deal with..

By reason of the same float 24 governing fthe inlet at 35 and outlet at pipe 23 and operating from the water/leve 1n the storage tank, the system is entirely automatic, the float on reaching its up er limit of travel stopping the inflow wit lout stopping the outflow, while on reaching its lower limit of travel it stops the outflow without stopping under water and to close it when t e level in 4the settling tank falls, vsubstantially as described.

bination with an elevated settling tank, yof an intake com rising a pipe with a system of perforated ranch Ipipes near the surface of the water, a valve in the pipe and a float 'op, erating the valve to close the intake pipe when the water falls in said` tank,

3. In water purifying 'apparatus a single partments placed in succession one above another and communicating directly -together under continuousghead, means for maintaining an upward flow throughv said ical solutions under head into the bottoms of each of said compartments, and means to draw off` the water from the top-of the top compartment providedwith an automatic valve to prevent the entry of air when the flow stops:

imposed treatment tanks, a main water supply and means operated by said supply to introduce chemical solutions under head therein, a filter, means to draw water from the top compartment to the filter and a device to prevent the entry of air into .the drawoff pipe when the flow stops, substantially as set forth.

5. In Iwater purifying apparatus the combinationywith a continuous tower series of treatment` tanks.v communicatin one above another, including a settling tan at the top,

the inflow, thus balancing the water level and means to keep the draw-off pi e always 2. In water purifying apparatus, the com4 treatment tank comprising a 'series -of com 4. The combination of a series of supercompartments, means for introducing chemof a water inlet at the base of the tower and a motor operated thereby, stirring devices in said compartments o erated by said motor, chemical su ply tan s, and pumps forcing the chemica into the treatment tanks and operated by said water motor, and a governing valve for the motor operated by a iioat in the settling tank, substantially as described.

6. In water purifying apparatus the combination with a series of treatment tanks communicating together and placed one above another7 a settling tank on top of the said series, a motor and pumps at the base of the ktower adapted to regulate the flow of and supply chemicals thereto, a filter also at the base ofthe tower and means to draw Water from the top of theftower into theiilter, said means being rovided with devices to prevent entry o air into the filters when the flow stops, substantially as described.

7. In a continuous water purifying system, the combination of a tower tank having inter-communicating compartments for the separate admiXture of several chemicals, and a settling tank, of a water inlet at the bottom, and a motor run by said incoming` water, a series of pumps supplying chemicals at definite points in the column of water in the tank, and run 'by said principal motor, stirring devices in the mixing compartments also run by said motor, and afloat device in the settling tank regulating the incoming water at the motor, all the apparatus being on the ground in easy reach and all the movel ments of the parts governed directly by the inflowing water, substantially as` described.

8. In a continuous water purifying system, the combination withal series of communicating vessels including a settling tank, of a float in said tank, inlet and outlet valves for the tank, and means governed by the float to stop the inflow as it rises and to stop the outflow when it falls, to certain limits.

9. InV water purifying apparatus the combination witha continuous series of communicating tanks including a' settling tank, of means in the latter to stop the iiow into the system when the tank is full and sto the outflow when the tank is empty, whereb to provide room for storage between fixed Iimits of travel.

- l0. In water purifying apparatus an elevated settling tank and means providing an upward flow in to the same, a draw off pipe, means including valves to stop the inflow at a predetermined high level without stopping the outflow and tov stop the outflow at a predetermined low level without stoppin the inflow whereby to provide a controIlable storage space, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence ofthe two subscribed witnesses.

JOHN C. W. GRETI-I. 

